Moses johnson



M. JOHNSON;

Hand-Truck.

Patented Feb-17,1880.

I 1 ENTOR WITNESSES ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STAT S PATENT OFFICE.

Moses JOHNSON, or LOOKPORT, NEW YORK.

HAND-TRUCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 224,694, dated February 17, 1880.

Application filed December 15, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MOSES JOHNSON, of the city of Lockport, in the county of Niagara, in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements on Hand- Trucks; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in hand-trucks; and it consists in the combined clutch and-support or base, the lugs a. a and c c, the sharp points c and b b, respectively, of the clutch and support, the bolts to a, in connectionwith orifices d d, for adjusting the length of the arms and leverage ofthe truck to suit the nature of the work or the strength of the operator, and in the combination and arrangement of the parts, as hereinafter more specifically set forth.

The drawing is a perspective view of a device embodying my invention.

The letters A A represent the longitudinal sides of a frame or platform, connected by the transverse bars I) b and supported by the vertical standards, to which they are rigidly attached, these standards 0 0 having shoulders e 6, upon which rest the longitudinal sidepieces. The standards furnish the bearin gs ofthe axle g, and the transverse bar 1) projects through the side pieces, A A, and standards 6 c. The longitudinal side pieces are curved to form a concave surface, the better to retain in position the art-iclelifted or loaded upon the truck, and

are pointed at their extreme ends, as shown, in order the more securely to grasp or the more easily to he slipped under the article to be lifted, and their front ends are fashioned into handles, as shown at E. They are provided with the lugs to a, which are pivoted thereto by the pins d d.

When articles contained in wooden or solid packages are to be lifted the lugs are thrown back, and the weight ofthe article pressing upon the points b b, and the points of the clutch also pressing thereon, are alone sufficient to grapple and secure such article upon the truck; and when the commodity to be removed is contained in sacks, bales, or such material as such bag, bale, or other device as would be penetrated by them, and it is arched or curvedin reverse form to the longitudinal sides of the support or base D, thus forming a recess between the upper and lower sections of the device, the sections being bolted together, as shown. The clutch may also be bolted or projec'ted forward beyond the sharp points of the supporting-frame by means of the bolts a a and orifices d d. When large cases or boxes are to be grappled its longitudinal pieces are also rounded or curved downward at the front to form the handles F F, which handles, when the device is lowered, also serve as feet or standards for supporting the load.

My hand-truck is thus provided with two sets of handles, acting as levers of different force, either set of which may be used at will for the intended purpose.

What I claim is-- 1. The combination of the longitudinal pieces A A, having orifices d d, to adjust the length of the arms by means of the bolts a c, lugs a a, and the clutch B B, having lugs c c, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination of the longitudinal side pieces, A A, having handles E E, uprights or standards 6 e, and clutch B B, having handles F F and points 0 a, substantially as herein shown and set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MosEs JOHNSON.

Witnesses M. G. RICHARDSON, J J. ARNOLD. 

